Chicken Thighs in Green Olive and Tomato Sauce Recipe

Middle Eastern recipes are known for their aromatic flavours and spices. A Middle Eastern meal comprises of a mezze platter, main dish, salad, and delectable sweets. You might have heard of and enjoyed popular dishes such as falafel, hummus and couscous. In addition, you may have even heard of Koshari, Zhoug, and Shakshuka.

However, we urge you to try this lesser-known, exotic, fusion recipe. It’s delicious, healthy and full of flavours. Moreover, the ingredients can be traced back to different regions such as Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey.

A fusion recipe adds more variety and flavour to the dishes. Since it’s a blend of different cultures, it tastes different and unique. Due to its distinctness, each dish has a quirk of its own. That’s the reason why each dish is time-consuming but is worth it.

Our chicken thighs in green olive and tomato sauce recipe is one such dish that you should try if you love Middle Eastern cuisine.

Chicken Thighs in Green Olive and Tomato Sauce Recipe

This flavourful fusion food recipe from the Middle East will delight the kids and adults alike.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 or 8 chicken thighs and legs including drumsticks and thighs

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp Rapeseed oil

2 onions, diced

8 cloves of garlic, sliced

2*400 g cans of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp chilli flakes

250 g plain pitted green olives

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp Baharat spice mix

2 tbsp Ras el Hanout spice mix

1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock or water (Make sure to prepare some stock as it really elevates the dish)

Pepper

1 tbsp sugar

Chopped parsley

Chopped coriander

Process:

1. Prepare a mixture of 1 tbsp each of Baharat spice mix, Ras el Hanout spice mix and some salt. Rub the chicken with the mixture. Set aside. (You can do this a night before to make it tastier and can store the chicken thighs overnight in the refrigerator).
2. Take a pan, add the oils and keep it at medium flame, when it gets hot, add onions along with chilli flakes and salt. Saute it for about 15 minutes until the onion turns golden brown and caramelized.
3. Take a medium-sized saucepan, add water, to boil, and then add one tbsp lemon juice along with the olives to get blanched for about 2 minutes. Drain them and repeat the process twice. Then drain it for the last time and keep it aside.
4. When onions get caramelized, add garlic and saute it for 3 minutes.  In the meantime, take a large non-stick pan and heat it on medium flame, add the thighs or legs to it (skin side down) and wait till they get crispy.
5. Add half of the stock or water (whichever you prefer) to the garlic and onions. Take a look at chicken thighs, when crisp, then flip the other side. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and turn off the flame.
6. Remove the chicken thighs from the pan and add the remaining stock to it and combine the residue with garlic, stock and onion. The presence of these ingredients will add more flavour to the dish.
7. When the stock gets reduced to half, add sugar, tomatoes, blanched olives and other spices. Boil it and then Simmer it for about 15 minutes.
8. Add chicken and then simmer it for another 15 minutes, and then turn the flame off and leave it for 30 minutes, before serving, to get the flavours mixed. Garnish it with parsley and coriander.

Featured Image Credits: Canva